Should we measure progress by GDP or well-being?
Side one
GDP matters
Income growth tracks jobs, health and opportunity. It is measurable and drives investment.
Adam Smith: Markets and Sympathy · Factfulness · Enlightenment NowSide two
Well-being matters
GDP ignores inequality, environment and unpaid work. Capabilities and well-being capture what people value.
Amartya Sen: Development as Freedom · Martha Nussbaum: Capabilities · The Happiness HypothesisCommon ground
Both want better lives and need measures that track them.
How to reconcile them
Use GDP alongside human development, inequality and environmental indicators.
When each side is right
Cite GDP for economic capacity. Cite well-being measures for quality of life and sustainability.
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